Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to announce the release of SIAC Guides, a series of user-friendly tools created by the SIAC Secretariat to assist SIAC’s users, arbitrators, colleagues and stakeholders to conduct their arbitration cases.
The first of the SIAC Guides series seeks to help users effectively navigate the use of audio conference, videoconference, and other non-physical means of communications in their arbitration cases. While the use of virtual hearing technologies and remote hearing platforms has always been a feature of international arbitration, the Covid-19 pandemic has exponentially increased the scale at which they are used. It is timelier than ever, therefore, to consider the transition from traditional physical hearings to remote hearings, which is not always straightforward. Presented in the form of checklists, Taking Your Arbitration Remote not only provides guidance for arbitration users who are unfamiliar with remote hearings, but also serves as a handy reminder for those who already have prior experience with such hearings.
We recognise that the manner of conducting remote hearings may vary depending on the type of dispute and the preferences of the participants. Taking Your Arbitration Remote is designed to help parties identify the main considerations that could impact the adoption of remote hearing technologies, and encourage discussions between parties and tribunals on the most suitable procedure for their specific case.
Remote hearing technologies, if utilised appropriately, can facilitate the resolution of parties’ disputes in a fair, expeditious and economical manner.
Thank you for your continued trust in us as we strive to innovate in the field of international arbitration, and to better serve the arbitration community as a whole.
Yours sincerely,
Gary Born
President of the Court of Arbitration
Singapore International Arbitration Centre